There is a common misunderstanding that science and art are separate. People are often drawn to one or the other, labelled as ‘right brained’ or ‘left brained’, but there are some of us who are attracted to both in equal measure.

The images that science comes up with can be astonishing. Take for example, the diatom (pictured below), a symmetrical single celled creature encased in a covering of silica which gives it the appearance of being covered in glass. These minuscule living glass sculptures are just one example of the artistry that we miss when we limit our idea of ‘art’.

The scanning electron microscope can also produce amazing images. One scientist and artist Susumu Nishinaga uses the SEM to produce otherworldly images of the parts of the world that cannot be seen with the naked eye.

Another astonishing set of images has been created by Michael W. Davidson using alcohol as his subject. These amazing images look like abstract paintings but are actually photographs of beverages that have been crystallized and viewed under a polarized light microscope. The photos are not modified in any way, the colours and patterns come from the crystals that form from the drinks.

Tequila. Credit: BevShots

These are just a few examples of the ways in which art and science can come together. What do you think? Are you more prone to favouring one over the other or can you, like the amazing individuals highlighted above, see the beauty in science? Let us know in the comments section below!